Sometimes draft picks are taken and, at least for first- or second-rounders anyway, the assumption is they’ll simply arrive and conquer. That they will launch themselves up the depth chart and that will be that.

And a lot of the time that is indeed the case.

But then there are times when the veteran, even if the veteran is in just his second season, shows he isn’t just going to step aside and watch the parade go by.

Such is the case of Jack Williams. The second-year cornerback, who had two interceptions in Tuesday’s practice, was a fourth-round pick in Mike Shanahan’s last draft class.

But after a preseason in ’08 that included an 89-yard interception return for a touchdown in Arizona, he played sparingly last season, mostly on special teams, and was even an inactive for the team’s last two games.

But it is Williams, enjoying the clean slate of a new coaching staff, who is playing as the fifth defensive back much of the time when the team goes to its nickel package in training camp’s early going and not rookie Alphonso Smith.

Smith, a second-round pick, has flashed the skills that made him the ACC’s all-time leader in interceptions, but he’s going to have to battle to find his way into some playing time. That doesn’t mean he’s behind in his first go-around.

Ed Hochuli and Josh McDaniels at Dove Valley on Tuesday. John Leyba, The Denver Post

The Broncos’ favorite referee, Ed Hochuli, is here with his crew. To which Chargers fans would say: “”Of course he’s in Denver; where else would he be?”

The Hochuli crew will officiate the Broncos’ 11-on-11 team sessions today and tommorrow, and go over the rules with the players and media. The first question we’re going to ask: “Hey Ed, can you explain the Ed Hochuli Rule?”

To review, Hochuli ruled Jay Cutler’s whiff on a red-zone pass was incomplete instead of a fumble that the Chargers’ recovered. Given another chance, Cutler hit Eddie Royal with a TD pass, then the 2-point conversion and the Broncos beat the Chargers, 39-38 in week 2 of the season.

But the football gods would eventually rescue Hochuli. The Chargers overcame the Broncos’ three-game lead with three games to go to win the AFC West. Nearly everybody on the Broncos got fired, including coach Mike Shanahan and essentially Cutler. And here’s Hochuli.

The Broncos signed linebacker Braxton Kelley, who had been with the team for part of their offseason workouts, and he was on the field for Tuesday’s practice.

Kelley took the roster spot created when linebacker Nick Greisen was moved to reserve/injured earlier Tuesday. The Broncos roster stands at 81 players, including unsigned No. 1 draft pick Knowshon Moreno, so the team will have to make a roster move when Moreno signed to get to the maximum of 80 active players for training camp.

Part of the fun part of training camp has been watching how the numerous free agent additions have meshed with the holdovers from the Mike Shanahan regime.

One interesting new partnership is at inside linebacker, with starters Andra Davis and D.J. Williams. Davis spent 7 years in Cleveland before coming to Denver as a free agent in early March. He will play the strongside inside linebacker spot like he did the Browns’ 3-4 defense (he started all 16 games last season). Williams is starting his sixth year in Denver and is playing his fourth different linebacker spot (all three spots when Denver was a 4-3 defense) and now the “Jack” position — the weakside inside linebacker.

Davis said so far he’s very impressed with what he’s seen from his new teammate.

“DJ, he’s unbelievable. I knew he was good, but to be able to see him each and every day, his approach to his game, his overall athletic ability, you see that he is the total package,” Davis said. “I see why he got a big contract, I see why he was a first-round pick and I see why he’s the face of this defense.”

I’m not sure if fans or media would necessarily call Williams the “face of the defense” — I’d probably first think of Champ Bailey — but this quote from Davis shows how Williams is regarded in the locker room.

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.